


Centenarian

by TheIntelligentHufflepuff



Series: Post-Infinity War ruminations [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 8 out of 10 sentences are happy, Gen, Gift Giving, Happy, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers's Birthday, just it's cannon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:39:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIntelligentHufflepuff/pseuds/TheIntelligentHufflepuff
Summary: “It’s from both me and White Wolf,” Shuri explains...(Steve gets a birthday present.)





	Centenarian

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this series was not intended to be about Steve receiving various bits of kit and yet...
> 
> Anyway: happy birthday to Steve, happy birthday to Steve, happy birthday dear Steeeeve... happy birthday to Steve!

Steve gets called to Shuri’s lab at 10:00am on the 4th of July through his kimoyo beads. He hadn’t been given them to begin with, when he was in and out of Wakanda at irregular intervals and Shuri was still unsure of him, but after The Snap they’d all settled into a Wakandan HQ and he’d had time to bond with the new Black Panther, despite how abruptly busy she’d become. Now, Steve thinks Shuri respects him for who he is, and is no longer wary of him due to the image perpetuated by certain sectors of the White Western media. For his part, Steve admires the hell out of her- not only had she dealt with losing her brother twice between the ages of sixteen and eighteen with the maturity of a woman twice her age, but now that she’s in charge of the country she’s still somehow able to continue innovating in ways that leave Steve bug-eyed and full of hope for the future. 

 

He assumes he’s being summoned for some reason related to the latter, until the lab door slides open and he’s greeted by a grinning Shuri proffering a cardboard box wrapped in red, white, and blue ribbons. 

 

“Happy birthday!” she smiles. 

 

Stumbling forwards to take the box, Steve finds himself smiling in tandem. It wasn’t as if he’d completely forgotten it was his birthday, but he’d registered it that morning more as an abstract fact than as anything that would affect his routine. It’s nice after everything to find that someone else was paying attention. 

 

“Thank you.” he says, before he begins to unwrap the present. Cautiously, that is- he’s spent enough time around Shuri to know to watch out for pranks at every corner. 

 

“It’s from both me and White Wolf,” Shuri explains as he does so; his fingers stumble on the ribbons at the mention of Bucky’s nickname, but he carries on “He mentioned after that time you got shot in the head that you don’t like wearing a helmet, so you leave it behind. He wasn’t happy with you.” 

 

“No, he wasn’t.” Steve agrees wryly, remembering Bucky’s angry rant the second he woke up. The wound hadn’t even been that bad, more a graze to the side of his head than an actual shot, and he’d had other injuries that had taken a heavier toll that day, but it must have been scary to see. 

 

Shuri laughs, leaning forwards to clap a hand on his forearm “So he asked me to make you a helmet, and I did! Bucky wanted it to be like the helmet in the Panther suit, so I made it the same but with some additions. They’re my part of the present.” 

 

By now, Steve has opened the box. Inside are two earpieces, similar to the kind that he used to have to wear in interviews. He glances at Shuri, who nods encouragingly. Cautiously, he takes them out of the box and slots them over his ears. Each makes a quiet hum, before falling silent. He shakes his head like a dog, but despite the apparent lack of adhesive, neither falls off. 

 

Rolling her eyes, Shuri reaches up without preamble and pokes one of them in the centre “You have to turn them on, silly. Now, hold still.” 

 

Steve does, though he gives Shuri a suspicious look when she reaches into one of the deep pockets of her dress and draws out a rubber ball. She smirks, then lobs the ball at Steve’s head as hard as she can, which, considering she has the power of the Black Panther, is considerably hard. Steve flinches, but doesn’t bother to duck. The second before the ball hits, Steve feels something spread across his skull; instead of leaving a bruise, the ball impacts with all the force of a lackadaisical gnat. 

 

“Automatic activation and built in shock absorption!” Shuri croons, evidently proud of herself. Steve holds out his palm for a high-five, which Shuri gives with relish. It stings a little. 

 

“There’s also night vision,” Shuri adds, poking a few more buttons, “which works underwater as well, an invisibility mode if you need to go incognito, a heat sensor, and a short-term respirator.” 

 

“Wow.” Steve exhales as the last feature, somehow, retracts back behind his ears “You really did think of everything.” 

 

“I had a lot of time talking to Bucky about it.” Shuri explains, adding with a cheeky grin “And about  _ you.  _ I have some idea of what adventures you get into. Just like my brother.” 

 

Steve nods, then holds his arms open in invitation. Shuri accepts, hugging him tightly for a few seconds. Though Steve had taken some time to re-adjust to physical contact in the twenty-first century, and had never been entirely comfortable with it in the first place, he’s discovered that Shuri is one of few exceptions, possibly because she’s reasonably adept at knowing when a line needs to be drawn. 

 

“Thank you.” he says again. 

 

Shuri nods “It was fun to make.” 

 

“And I guess you’ve made them for everyone else too?” 

 

“Of course!” Shuri confirms, looking scandalised at the idea that she wouldn’t before her expression softens “But he wanted you to have the first one.” 

 

Unsure what to say in reply, heart in his throat, Steve says nothing. Tactfully, Shuri chooses that moment to retreat, citing the need to get changed before they properly start Steve’s party. Just before she leaves, Shuri notes “There’s a message he wrote in the bottom of the box. I haven’t read it.” 

 

Steve nods. Alone in the lab, he fishes out the carefully trimmed piece of paper, reads the words written in a painfully familiar hand, and laughs: 

 

_ Steve,  _

 

_ Happy 100th! I hope wherever you are when you open this present, you’re safe and happy. Let yourself enjoy your birthday for once, you only become a  _ _ centenarian every so often _ _.  _ _ Then _ _ carry on making the world a better place. Remember to watch your back and  _ _ use the helmet _ _ \- I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done.  _

 

_ Love you,  _

_ Bucky  _

 

_ (P.S. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s sappy but I’m 101, so suck it up!) _


End file.
